By Ryan James Mingay
Darts is traditionally dominated by players from the nations of England , Netherlands, Wales, Scotland, Belgium and Germany. In recent years numerous players from the smaller darting nations have shone on the big stage. So who are the best players from these nations to look out for?
Gibraltar
Small in terms of size and population , Gibraltar isnt exactly a sporting powerhouse. The British overseas territory is more well known for its big defeats and the troupe of monkeys that roam the rock. However Gibraltar is turning a tide in darts and has shown some real promise in the past decade.
Perhaps the most famous Gibraltarian Dartist is Dyson Parody who famously reached a quarter final at the 2016 Gibraltar Darts trophy before he missed 3 match darts against World Number one Michael Van Gerwen. Parody had played in every PDC world cup until 2019.
Gibraltar has recently been represented in the PDC world cup by its new young stars Craig Galliano, Justin Hewitt and Sean Negrette. All 3 ply their trade in the Development Tour. Where Hewitt reached two quarter finals in 2022 and Galliano made the Semi finals that season. He also beat Mario Vandebogaerde in the Gibraltar Darts Trophy before losing to two-time world champion Peter Wright.
Hewitt and Galliano could cause an upset in the World Cup this year as they look to go one further than last year where they narrowly lost 5-3 to Northern Ireland thanks to some big checkouts from Daryl Gurney.
Craig Galliano and Justin Hewitt who have represented the Gibraltar in the 2020 and 2022 PDC World Cup of Darts will once again represent Gibraltar in 2023.
Latvia
Latvian darts has been lead by one man for years and that man is Madars Razma. Who was highly ranked within the BDO/WDF he later became the first and so far only Latvian to hold a tour card. A 3 time Players Championship finalist, the Latvian reached new ground last year reaching a Euro Tour Semi final where he lost to Rowby John Rodriguez and a maiden
major quarter final at the Grand Prix where he lost to Gerwyn Price. Madars hasn't quite managed to replicate his form from last year but remains in the race for the Matchplay , Grand Prix and European Championship.
Philippines
The Philippines has been somewhat of a new force in the darting world and looks to a remain a threat to the established dominant nations. Christian Perez became the inaugural PDC Asian champion which lead to his spot in the Grand Slam, where he finished bottom of the group, as well as the World Championship where he lost out to Simon Whitlock in a close game. Perez gained his tour card at Q school but Visa issues have prevented him from entering any event on the pro tour so he has been restricted to the Asian Tour for now.
Perez will play for his nation at the World Cup this year. Other Notable Filipino Players include Lourence Ilagan and Noel Malicdem who both triumphed over Rowby-John Rodriguez in the 2020 and the 2022 world championships respectively. Rowby-John and his brothers Rusty-Jake and Roxy-James are of Filipino heritage themselves. Rowby-John proudly displays the Filipino emblem on his shirt and his previous flights.
South Africa
Devon Petersen is easily the greatest ever African Darts player and its not remotely close. The first and only tour card holder from his Continent , he is a trailblazer for darts in his continent and helps pioneer academies and tournaments in his home country and greater Africa.
Devon made history when he captured the 2020 German Darts Championship and became the first African title winner. Devon has been bravely battling on despite his form slipping away recently as he looks set for a trip to Q school unless he seriously turns his form around.
His countryman Grant Sampson impressed against young star Keane Barry as he advanced to the Second Round of the Worlds where averaged 68 and was whitewashed by Kim Huybrechts. Devon will be joined by Vernon Bouwers at this years world cup.
Devon Petersen (centre) at a Devon Petersen Darts Academy event
Brazil
Popular Brazilian Diogo Portela has been the leading figure for South American Darts for years. First rising to prominence on the Sky show One Hundred and Eighty; where he partnered James Wade and won £16,000. Diogo would later win a challenge tour event in 2018. A 6 time World Championship qualifier he has only ever won a single game at Ally Pally which he managed against former BDO champion Steve Beaton in 2021. Portela
has been more active on the WDF scene recently as he seeks qualification for Lakeside next year.
Diogo Portela has been a mainstay in the PDC World Cup of Darts however this year Brazil will not be represented due to not coming through the first ever South American qualifier.
Best of the rest
Hong Kong have impressed on the darts scene in recent years and have been led by soft tip star Royden Lam and Recent World Masters Semi Finalist Kai Fan Leung. Leung, a former tour card holder, won the Swedish Open last year and looks to be a strong contender for many WDF titles.
Darting legend Paul Lim has also represented Hong Kong, not within the PDC as he represents Singapore, his place of birth, but instead the WDF World Cup, Hong Kong being his hometown.
Greece hasn't been a major force in darts but Cypriot Born John Michael has held a tour card and he was recently seen in the WDF Cyprus Open and the Modus Super Series, Michael failed to retain his tour card as he couldn't travel to every event due to working as a farrier in Athens. He could make a return to Q school next year and remains a dangerous Player.
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